1. Field of the Disclosure
This disclosure relates generally to drill bits and systems that utilize same for drilling wellbores.
2. Background of the Art
Oil wells (also referred to as “wellbores” or “boreholes”) are drilled with a drill string that includes a tubular member having a drilling assembly (also referred to as the “bottomhole assembly” or “BHA”) at the bottom end of the tubular. The BHA typically includes devices and sensors that provide information relating to a variety of parameters relating to the drilling operations (“drilling parameters”), behavior of the BHA (“BHA parameters”) and parameters relating to the formation surrounding the wellbore (“formation parameters”). A drill bit attached to the bottom end of the BHA is rotated by rotating the drill string and/or by a drilling motor (also referred to as a “mud motor”) in the BHA to disintegrate the rock formation to drill the wellbore. A large number of wellbores are drilled along contoured trajectories. For example, a single wellbore may include one or more vertical sections, deviated sections, curved sections and horizontal sections through differing types of rock formations. Drilling conditions differ based on the wellbore contour, rock formation and wellbore depth. It is often desirable to have a drill bit with a longer vertical or longitudinal sections around the drill bit, also referred to as gauge pads, during drilling of a vertical well section to increase drill bit stability and wellbore quality and relatively short gauge pads for drilling deviated well sections, curved well sections, and horizontal well sections to allow greater deflection and bit control.
The disclosure herein provides a drill bit and drilling systems using the same that includes adjustable longitudinal sections or gauge pads.